


Meet the Fans

by frizzycrls



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Creepy demon alert, Gen, Hellmasker should always have his own warning, No kids were harmed in the making of this story, One Shot, Warning: Hellmasker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 20:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4848674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frizzycrls/pseuds/frizzycrls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vincent should have known better than to expect a peaceful Halloween.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet the Fans

_'That...that can't be...'_ Vincent stared in wide-eyed disbelief as he watched the child scamper off into the bustling city center. _'Have I finally gone insane?'_ His surprise and apprehension was enough to stir up the attentions of those within. He could feel them pushing for information and after a moment, he relented and allowed the sight to reach them.

So many children ran around the town center giggling, shrieking, covered in sticky candy residue. This in and of itself was nothing to blink at on Hallow's Eve. No, the thing that had the gunman frozen in the middle of the noise and crowds was the fact that a large portion seemed to be dressed as...him!

There were boys and girls of varying ages with toy guns and tattered cloaks, some which looked like hastily cut up and sewn bed sheets. There was really no mistaking their attempts to mimic his outfit, the older kids having variations that included his clawed gauntlet and boots. His shoes didn't look that silly...right?

Shaking his head, he turned to escape the confusing scene only to bump into a teenage girl who appeared to have been attempting to take his photo, "Sorry man! That's a sweet replica! You're with the cosplay group at Miller's place, right? They got all those awesome creatures he turns into but no Vincent there. You mind going over so I can get the full group shot?"

He was going to tell her no, really he was, but then a wave of interest and curiosity came from all four of the demons and he couldn't quite blame them. Vincent allowed himself to be herded by the talkative teen to a shop just a couple of streets over. When he got there, it was really impossible to miss the group she had spoken of. Four adults were lined up in front of the weapons store, posing fiercely or playfully for photos being taken by a rapidly growing audience.

Vincent couldn't help but be a bit awed at the costumes. The replicas of Galian Beast and Chaos in particular were so well-detailed, an instinctive thrill of fear and dread raced through him for the barest moment. Even the hound-like demon seemed confused, waves of _meet-play-friend?_ warring with territorial wariness. Chaos gave off a general feeling of disdain until his doppleganger pushed something at their side and the wings folded on their back spread out menacingly, accurate in proportion and movement. Then the feeling shifted to something like reluctant acceptance of its proper due. Vincent had a theory the powerful demon was something of a royal priss but he always kept that thought well away from it. He got enough headaches from them as it was.

Death Gigas and Hellmasker's counterparts looked to be a bit more imagination driven. Close enough to be recognizable but the overall details were off. The Gigas costume had strangely elaborate bolts showing on more joints than the true one and there was some sort of metal mohawk in the middle of the spiky hair. It worked with the overall look though, in Vincent's opinion. Death Gigas seemed to agree; it wanted to see how high the mohawk would spark if jolted.

The Hellmasker player was....a bit worrisome actually. That looked like a rather vicious chainsaw with multiple chains and barbed teeth. It was huge, how could he even hold it one-handed like that? And if what he was seeing was right, it really did work. And the real Hellmasker? Was currently pushing to get out, waves of _GIMME_ , _MINE_ , and _SQUEE_ radiating from it with glee.

Vincent managed to keep a calm facade while throwing mental walls up to keep it back. But he lost track of what was going on around him and when he refocused, the Chaos player had gotten surprisingly close.

"Holy shit! You have got to come over and join us, that is one helluva cosplay, kiddo!" He couldn't help the surprise showing on his face but that seemed to only bring a grin, "Yeah, I know. No one expects me to be female but I take that as a compliment. And hey, that growth spurt I got as a kid is finally doing me some good." The rather explicit images Chaos was giving him forced him to duck further into his collar to hide the bright flush on his cheeks. Thankfully, she took no notice, "Finding these contacts was such a bitch but totally worth it. Come on, you gotta meet the others. Harold is going to flip when he sees that gun. You got all the details right I think! He's been trying to make a replica for months, you'll have to give him a few pointers."

Vincent followed helplessly, charmed by the excitement and passion pouring from the woman, "You planned this for months?"

She gives a nod, "Close to a year actually. Ever since the WRO released those photos and the story of what really happened with Deepground, yanno? Vincent Valentine saved all of us, 'specially here in Kalm, and yet no one really sees him or knows much about him. Guy is a bit of an unsung hero and we plan on changing that. He even helped with AVALANCHE back at the Meteor fiasco and no one knew it till that press release!"

She looked so affronted at the thought, he had to duck his head behind the collar of his cloak to hide his smile. Her chatter had answered a few questions though. He was going to have to make a visit to Reeve soon and figure out just what the Director had released about him.

"Hey Harold! Lookit! This guy's got Vincent down pat!"

The costumed Hellmasker looked over and then did a double-take, voice muffled a bit, "Sweet Shiva, Kary, you ain't kiddin'! Dude, you gotta line up with us for a photo!"

Vincent weighed his options. He was already here and really, it wouldn't be a problem. But...it felt a bit disingenuous to insert himself with these talented artists; he couldn't think of them as anything less than masters of their craft. He tried to find a good excuse for turning them down without drawing too many questions when a lot of panicked shouting and terrified screams came from the square.

Cape flaring, Vincent turned and ran back for the center of town, sticking to the long shadows as he got closer. He slowed as he approached the final turn and pressed his back against the wall before peering out.

Gone was the atmosphere of carefree delight and mischief. The costumed children and their parents were all huddled together, cowed by six large men, most of them armed and with mako-lit eyes. Vincent had heard from Reeve and Cloud that some of the SOLDIERs alive after Shinra's fall had turned into gangs, wandering the world and attacking defenseless towns to steal what they wanted. This appeared to be one such group.

He crept closer, avoiding the moonlit spaces. Rushing in would only turn the scene into a disaster.

One of the men, apparently the leader of this gang, snatched a woman out of the group, "Let's make this nice and easy. We don't want any of these kiddies getting hurt, do we?"

"Don't you dare touch me or my daughter!" The woman kicked and hit at him ineffectually. The man just shook his head with a long-suffering sigh and motioned to one of his friends, who struck her across the head hard with a gauntleted fist. She fell to the ground in a heap, a cry coming from one of the children before they broke away from the group to race to her side, "Mama!"

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," The man made a sweeping gesture at his captive audience before giving a mocking bow, stepping away from the mother and child, leaving the gauntlet-wearer to stand over them menacingly, "I am Dalin, former Second Class SOLDIER of Shinra. And these boys are my squad. All of us were SOLDIERs so don't think of doing anything stupid like that lady and we'll get along fine."

The woman lay unconscious, bleeding from a gash at the side of her head. Her daughter couldn't have been more than eight years old but stood her ground in front of her mother, the very image of fierce protectiveness in her red cloak and raised toy gun aimed at the man who struck her mother.

The man gave a sneer, "What? You think you're gonna hit me with that, pipsqueak? You're an idiot like your mom." He raised his arm, poised to strike the child, "You need to learn some manners."

"You're the idiot, you big meanie!" The young girl screamed, tearful but determined, pulling the trigger on her gun.

A gunshot tore through the air, a flare of red blossoming from the stunned man's shoulder. Shock and confusion flashed through his eyes as he stumbled back, the others in the gang turning to figure out what just happened.

"Nice shot," Vincent murmured as he strolled past the girl, giving her a small smile visible over the edge of his collar though he kept his eyes on the wounded man.

Brown eyes went wide before she gave him a grin, "Thanks, Mr. Vincent!" Assured that this adult was here to help, she turned back to check on her mom, who was coming to with a groan, "Mama! Did you see?! I shot the bad guy!"

Vincent's smile disappeared as the ex-SOLDIER regained his bearings and charged him with a snarl. He fired another shot into the would-be attacker's foot, raising his own gauntlet-covered hand to knock him down with a sharp backhand. One down, five to go.

The ringleader, Dalin, lazily motioned the others to gather with him as he frowned at Vincent. His mako-lit gaze swept over the gunman's appearance and he gave a condescending sigh, "This town is just so damn weird, all you guys practically worshiping that freak. What happened to the good old days, when SOLDIER were your gods?" With that, they mobbed towards Vincent, trying to force him to back away and give them room to swing their weapons.

Vincent leapt higher than they expected, flipping over the fastest one as he drew Death Penalty from his holster. Firing once, he could hear the bone in a shoulder shatter and smirked with dark satisfaction. As he came down, he planted his feet squarely against the chests of the other two, toppling them to the ground before rolling out of their reach. Easily regaining his footing, Vincent turned to face their leader, his red eyes glowing in the dim light. “Take your friends and run now, and I will spare your lives.” His voice was low and quiet, the threat behind it no less real for its lack of volume.

His opponent raised his sword and rushed towards Vincent, "FUCK YOU, FREAK!”

Vincent danced lightly out of the way, his cloak swirling as he moved, getting out of sword range and drawing a bead on the fighter. He remembered sparring with Cloud; the military taught them dirty tricks.

The former Second Class swung the sword in a wide arc, the metal slicing the air with a noticeable sound. The blade was that sharp then. Vincent nodded and fired, walking forward to force the man back. Each bullet was deflected and the man started to glow blue. Vincent halted his advance as he recognized the aura building around him. _'Limit break!'_

The fight turned quickly against him as the swordsman rushed forward again, now faster than Vincent could avoid if he didn't want those hits to strike innocents. Still he pulled back with as much speed as he could gather, trying to control the amount of damage he would take and draw himself as far from the townspeople as possible.

Without warning, Dalin swung his blade up and forced the first few inches through Vincent's abdomen in a single, long cut. Red fluid arced almost gracefully through the air, following the path of the sword after it nearly cut Vincent in half. His eyes glazed over and he fell to his knees in pain but, to the gang's confusion, he just smiled, "Bad move." Then, almost to himself, "Don't hurt the civilians."

As one, they took a fearful step back as Vincent was enveloped in smoke and a strange light. One of them looked to the leader, "Um, boss? I think this one is the real deal!"

"No shit! Retreat boys, get the fuck outta here!" They ran for the main road out of town. Just before they managed to escape the square, three monstrous figures leapt out of the shadows. The front-most creature brandished a wicked looking chainsaw, the noise of the roaring engine adding to the confusion and instinctive fear making them stumble as they backed away, "Boss, what do we do now?"

"Yo _u di_ **e, li** tt _le_ pi **ggie** _ssss_!"

Four pairs of wide eyes looked over to find the imposing figure of Hellmasker shambling toward them, giggling with mad glee at the palpable scent of their growing terror. One broke away from the group, making a desperate dash for the townsfolk in a bid to gain a hostage. The demon's awkward, lopsided gait meant it couldn't move too quickly, right?

Wrong.

He ran straight into a wall of acrid smelling cloth, Hellmasker gripping him by his shirt and lifting him from the ground with ease. The ex-SOLDIER struggled to break free, taking one of his throwing blades and stabbing the demon hard in the arm holding him. But Hellmasker gave no sign of feeling the impact and his captive watched in horror as his knife was absorbed into the bleeding wound.

Masker raised his chainsaw in his other hand and moved to strike when the man in his grasp fainted in sheer terror, the stench of piss filling the air. Only slightly visible through the openings in its mask, the demon pouted and dropped its prey, looking around for another to terrorize. It took a step toward the remainder of Dalin's gang before a metallic glint caught its attention.

A strange, high-pitched noise of excitement filled the air before Harold, the Hellmasker cosplayer, suddenly found himself mask to mask with the real deal. Instinctively he stepped back before noticing the hand making grabbing motions at his own saw, "You...want this?"

" **Gim** _mi_ e Gi **mm** _ie G_ im **mie**!!!"

"Sure man, take it!" He nervously offered up the chainsaw, twitching a bit as it was snatched up with a happy screech. Hellmasker started to turn away but paused as it looked at its full hands. After a second of consideration, it dropped the old, simpler saw into Harold's still outstretched hand. "Uh wha....for me? I mean, thank you!"

It paid the human no further attention before turning back towards its prey, looking around to find they had moved, trying to sneak out of a side alley. Masker waited to see if they would make it, as its host would be more quiet about killing if all the tiny humans weren't in view. Before they could make it, the human female dressed as Chaos cut them off, kicking one in the stomach and breaking the other's jaw with a practiced strike of her fist. She hissed and screeched, the prey all seeing her as another demon, their fear blinding them to her true self.

Hellmasker watched her and tilted its head, contemplating what her screams would sound like. A sharp nudge from its host had it returning its attention to the original targets. Oh well, perhaps another time. It shuffled its way over to them, savoring the rich scent of their desperation.

Dalin fumbled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a red materia, "Fuck this, this whole town can drown!" He raised the materia high, pulling the energy to summon Leviathan. A roar and flash of metal were the only warning before his hand and forearm were severed, leaving nothing after his elbow.

Masker grinned, nearly purring in satisfaction at the hysterical screaming leaving the primary target. The other two dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves before it, pleading for their lives. It studied them, planning the best places to break them apart but keep them alive when its host pushed harder. The demon frowned, it wasn't done yet! Another push and a whisper of a thought broke through, the host promising to let it keep the new saw without a fight. Hellmasker giggled in glee, unconcerned with the way the humans in front of it quailed at the sound. The demon stepped back as it relinquished control, hugging its new weapon to its chest as it vanished in a fog, Vincent reappearing on shaking legs.

The gunman stumbled before regaining his balance and looking around. Spotting the woman from before, Kary if he remembered right, he motioned, "Do you have anything to bind these men and get them basic care until someone can pick them up?"

She nodded, "Sure. You just chill, we got this taken care of now, Mr. Valentine."

He shook his head, about to argue when he suddenly found himself surrounded by several children and their parents.

"That was so cool!"

"Do it again!"

"Can I play fetch with the puppy one?!"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Valentine! I was _so scared! _"__

He looked around for a way out and saw several adults helping the costumed demons tie up Dalin's group, "Sorry but I need to make a call to the WRO. Excuse me."

Carefully extracting himself from the group, Vincent gave a deep sigh of relief as he got to the side street. Pulling out his phone, he made a quick call and told Reeve the basics of the situation. Luckily it seemed there was an outpost not too far out so help would be coming quickly. He hung up and hesitated. He wanted to leave but if any of those ex-SOLDIERs tried to get out before the WRO got here, one of the townspeople could be hurt. Looking up, he decided he would stay, but on the roofs away from the crowds.

As he moved to leap, a sound caught his attention and he turned to find the four "demons" from before coming down the street towards him. Vincent mentally cursed his luck before turning to face them fully, "Yes?"

He then noticed the Hellmasker's current weapon, "Im sorry about your chainsaw. I could-"

"Are you freakin' kidding me?! Seriously, dude, you have no idea how honored I am right now!" Harold pulled off his mask to give Vincent a nearly-terrifying grin, his words coming out in a rush, "He has my saw!" His green eyes grew wide and he turned to his friends, "Oh. My. Goddess. You guys, _you guys _!! Seriously, **MYSAWISNOWCANON**!!!!"__

Kary slowly worked off the straps holding her wings on and set them down carefully beside her, "Dude, I think Wutai just heard you. Tone it down a notch." She looked over at their Galian Beast, "Terry, I think we need to muzzle him."

Terry pulled off the head of his costume and rolled his eyes, wiping at his sweat slicked hair, "Chill, Harry. You're making us look seriously uncool here."

"Don't you get it?! **My** saw! My custom, hand-made, one-of-a-kind chainsaw is now wielded by one of Vincent Valentine's forms!!!" He looked down at the saw in his hand and squealed, "And I have the original!!! This is going in a sealed case in my shop!"

Vincent started to back away, uncomfortable. He stopped only because he bumped into the Death Gigas, who looked apologetic, "Sorry about my brother. He's a bit excitable. He just recently opened his weapon shop and has been looking to make a name for himself with custom work."

Vincent nodded his acknowledgement, "I think I will go keep watch for the WRO troops, Mr...?"

A large, painted hand was held out to him, "Camden. Camden Miller. It's been an honor, Mr. Valentine. We'll get Harold under control. Maybe you can come back later and get that picture with us? I hate to ask more of you but it really would make everyone around here happy."

Vincent hesitated before accepting the handshake, "I just might." He gave the man a nod and then leapt up, using the brick walls for leverage to get to the rooftops. Hopefully the rest of the night would go by peacefully. He winced as Hellmasker sent out another happy shriek over its new toy. Well, as peaceful as it ever got for him at any rate.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you are wondering, yes, Harold does find a special case just for Hellmasker's chainsaw and soon gains a lot of customers wanting to get weapons from the man who supplied one of Vincent's demons with a specialized weapon.


End file.
